‘Crime Wave’ heading into Winnebago

June 26, 2013

WINNEBAGO - If you like a good mystery, the Muir Library will be the place to be Thursday evening.

Novelists William Kent Krueger, Ellen Hart and Carl Brookins will talk about their craft, and answer questions at 7 p.m.. All three are from Minnesota.

The three are collectively known as "Minnesota Crime Wave" and have recently released individual novels and an anthology with other authors called "Fifteen Tales of Murder, Mayhem and Malice from the Land of Minnesota Nice."

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HITTIN’ TOWN?— A crime wave will hit Winnebago — Minnesota Crime Wave, that is. The trio of authors, William Kent Krueger, Carl Brookins and Ellen Hart, will talk about their books 7 p.m. Thursday at the Muir Library.

The trio will talk about their books, writing mysteries and writing about Minnesota, says Heidi Schutt, director of the Muir Library.

"Each will have topics they'll talk about and answer lots of questions," Schutt said.

The event is free and refreshments will be served by Friends of the Library.

Schutt said she is read something from all three mystery writers.

"Most of their books have something to do with Minnesota," she said.

Krueger writes the Cork O'Connor series, which takes place in northern Minnesota; Hart and Brookins set theirs around Lake Superior and the Twin Cities.

"Krueger's 'Ordinary Grace' takes place in the Minnesota River Valley and he's gotten very good reviews so far. I read it and I really liked it," Schutt said.

The anthology is "pretty cool," she added.

"I've talked to other libraries that have had this group or the individual authors and they say it's fantastic," Schutt said.

She had applied for a MN Book Awards grant but had to wait a couple of months to find out if the Muir would get it. In the meantime, she called the writers.

"I reached out to the authors and said if we get this grant, will you come down? They said 'Absolutely!'" Schutt said. "They were very easy to work with."

The Muir got funding for the visit from two grants. It is sponsored by the MN Book Awards, Minnesota Library Foundation, Traverse des Sioux Library Cooperative and Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

"Without those things, we would definitely not be able to bring three authors to one event," Schutt said. "It was fun to find out we got those grants."